BMW M5 2018 pricing and spec confirmed

BMW Australia has fired off a warning shot to its rivals, announcing that the bahn-storming M5 will be priced sharply from $199,900 before on-road costs when it arrives in the second quarter of next year.

Two variants will be on offer initially, with the range-opening, market-specific Launch Edition restricted to 50 units, while the $229,900 First Edition will be limited to five examples.

Both will be powered by the same 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine, which produces 441kW of power from 5600rpm to 6700rpm and 750Nm of torque from 1800rpm to 5600rpm.

These outputs, combined with a switchable ‘M xDrive’ all-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed ‘M Steptronic’ automatic transmission, allowing the M5 to dash from standstill to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 305km/h (when the ‘M Driver’s Package’ is fitted).

Comparatively, the Mercedes-AMG E63 and E63 S are priced from $209,900 and $239,990 respectively, with the $40,000-cheaper M5 matching the latter in the triple-digit sprint despite its 9kW/100Nm deficits. Additionally, the E63 S also falls shorts in the terminal velocity stakes, by 5km/h.